


Matchmaker

by playitagain



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: M/M, Mention of Child Abuse, and kei playing matchmaker, because she totally loves them and supports them, but mostly our boys being oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24361747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playitagain/pseuds/playitagain
Summary: JJ and Pope are both jealous and oblivious. Kie decides to play matchmaker.
Relationships: JJ/Pope (Outer Banks)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 135





	Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually another request. I'm literally obsessed with these two. I've written four fics in less than a week and I don't plan on stopping. These boys need more love.
> 
> This plays on canon, but ignores the whole Pope and Kie kiss and such.

JJ grips the beer in his hand a little tighter, beer can starting to crunch in his palm. Pope is standing across from him, face illuminated by the fire as some touron chats him up. Pope is awkward and JJ can tell from here he is fumbling over his words. Pope has a tendency to ramble in situations like this and JJ can’t help the fond feeling he gets watching the other. 

It’s unusual for a touron to stick around after starting a conversation with Pope. JJ feels bad for him, but he can’t help the happy feeling he gets when he watches the girl walk away. Today was different though. JJ would place the emotion as jealousy. He remembers the first time he felt it for Pope, only three months ago at a kegger during spring break. There had been a girl at that party, insistent and wanting, and Pope had been oblivious chatting with her. JJ remembers the fire, the ache in his chest as he watched the girl laugh at something Pope said. He had been thankful when Kie stepped in to rescue the other, smile on his lips and hand on his shoulder. 

The touron wasn’t leaving though. She had a hand placed on Pope’s shoulder, warm and comforting and JJ wants to slap it off because his hand should be the one on Pope’s shoulder. He should be the one chatting the other up and bringing him home. He has to shove those feelings down though. He has to shake them off as he draws his eyes away from the sight in front of him, looking for anything that might take his mind off the blatant flirting happening in front of him. 

JJ doesn’t know when Kie sits down, but he catches her eyes as he forces his gaze away and she’s looking at him suspiciously, eyebrow raised in question. “What the hell was that?” She asks, glancing between Pope and JJ. 

JJ fakes innocent, shrugs his shoulders. He could pay this off. He was a great liar. The problem is that Kie knew him well so he would just have to up his game. “She’s hot,” he says, leaning back as he takes a sip of his beer. The can is basically deformed now and JJ frowns as he tosses it to the side so he can grab a solo cup and fill it up from the keg sitting in front of him. 

“Oh hell no. That wasn’t about her. At least not how you’re describing it.” Kie was so fucking annoying and perceptive. Couldn’t she just leave it? “JJ, what the hell?” 

“Kie, just leave it,” he sighs, glancing at his friend. He’s thankful for her, really, but in this moment he wishes that she would just leave him alone and let him wallow in peace. He’d get over it eventually and find himself a nice touron to distract himself, even if it was only for a few moments. 

“Seriously, J, do you have a thing for Pope?” 

JJ cringes. He’s never said it out loud. He’s actually really good at hiding it...usually. It was just moments like these, when jealousy had JJ’s heart pounding and anger raising, that he couldn’t hold it back. “No,” he says and he knows it isn’t convincing. It sounds weak and lame to his ears. He was JJ though and moved from person to person in a heartbeat. He could do that now. 

The only problem was that this wasn’t just some random touron. This was Pope. It was the same Pope who let him keep tips while they were on the job, working for Pope’s dad. He went along with JJ’s crazy plans even when he knew they wouldn’t work. He put up with JJ’s antics even if it interrupted his own work. Pope was always there when he father hurt him with a smile and an offer of a place to stay that JJ never took. Shit. He couldn’t even place when these feelings started because Pope has always been good to him, even when he didn’t deserve it and JJ rarely does. 

He misses it though. He misses the glance in his direction as he talks to Kie. He misses the desperation in Pope’s eyes as he tries to get away from the girl, but Kie doesn’t. JJ watches as a smile pulls up her lips, eyes shining bright as he finally meets JJ’s eyes again. 

“Whatever you want to tell yourself JJ.” JJ doesn’t like the way she says that, all knowing and conspiring. JJ sips his beer as he watches her walk away, reaching out to take Pope’s shoulder. 

JJ hates how relieved he is when they walk away from the touron, only disappointed for a moment before she turns her attention to a new conquest. 

\------------------------------

Pope frowns as he watches JJ, dancing the night away in his usual manner. This is the third touron that has come up to JJ and all Pope can do is sigh and lean back as he takes a sip of his beer. He’s never had a taste for the liquid, but it helps him forgot about the way his heart pounds around the other or the way his cheeks heat every time JJ touches him. 

Pope is actually surprised JJ hasn’t already gone off with one of the tourons at this point. It’s later than his usual conquests happen, but he seems pretty content just to have girls grinding up against his tonight. 

Pope furrows his brows when Kie walks over, slapping JJ’s shoulder to gain his attention. Pope watches curiously as the other yells at JJ and Pope swears she points in his direction. When he notices JJ glancing over, he is quick to turn his gaze away only to find John B has drifted off to the side of the party with Sarah. It leaves him sitting alone and it suddenly makes him feel pathetic. He’s literally at a raging party, pining over some guy who will never like him back, and sitting completely alone because said guy is off flirting with anything that walks. 

The problem is that it wasn’t just some guy. This was JJ. He was Pope’s best friend and Pope could never blame him for wanting to forgot, for just a moment how hard his life is. Pope can’t imagine having a father who beats him, a mother who left a long time ago. He just wants to wrap JJ in his arms and let him know that someone loves him, will always love him. 

Pope lets out a breath as he gets up, discarding his drink as he starts in the opposite direction of the party. The music fades quickly as he walks away, feet kicking the sand along the way. He just can’t stand to watch JJ pick up another girl tonight and he was pretty well spent. He wanted to get a jump on his summer reading tomorrow anyway. 

He doesn’t turn around, but if he had, he would have found a pair of blue eyes watching him sadly. 

\------------------------------

Pope leans back, letting out a sigh as the summer sun hits his already warm skin. It’s simply another day with the pogues, surfing and hanging out on the boat. At this particular moment, Pope was lounging on the beach with Kie while John B and JJ caught some waves. They had agreed to join them shortly but JJ had been too excited to wait and nearly ran off before they could even put the cooler down. 

Pope takes the moment to watch JJ. He’s immensely talented when he is out surfing and Pope thinks that if they had a different life, more opportunities, JJ could seriously win some competitions. They didn’t have those kinds of resources though. He didn’t have those kinds of chances. They weren’t kooks and they never would be. They had lost sight of the gold only months ago, but at least John B had been able to return without a murder charge. 

“What are you thinking about?” Kie inquires next to him. Pope forgot she was even there for a second and nearly has to shake himself out of his thoughts as he turns to look at the other, taking his eyes off JJ for the first time that day. 

“Nothing. Just worrying about summer reading,” he answers smoothly. The excuse has been playing on his lips all summer, but he knows Kie doesn’t buy it. He can tell by the raise in her eyebrow and the shine in her eyes. He doesn’t like that look. This girl is too perceptive for her own good. 

“Oh I know that face,” Kie smiles, and Pope can only name this feeling as fear inside him. He doesn’t know why, but he has a feeling Kei has something up her sleeve and he’s scared to know what it might be. “You like him.” 

Pope immediately shakes his head, fear coursing through his veins. He had been able to hide this feeling for months, touching it away and pretending that he was only friends with JJ, only wanted to be friends. He couldn’t have Kie coming in here to ruin this whole thing and make him talk about it, admit it out loud. 

When Pope doesn’t say anything though, simply shaking his head, Kie squeals and Pope flinches at the sound. Is this what girl talk was? If it was, he did not want to be a part of it. “Oh my god, you so like him.” Is Kie happy about this? What the hell does she have up her sleeve? Pope did not like that look on her face. It was no use denying it though. 

“Kie, stop. You can’t tell anyone. Shut up,” Pope stresses, slapping a hand over her mouth. She bit his palm only a moment later before he pulls his hand away, shaking out the sting. 

“But Pope, you should tell him!” 

“No.” It’s firm and there is no wiggle room. He will never tell JJ. He can’t put himself on the other like that, can’t make his own needs more important than JJ’s. He can’t be another worry in JJ’s life and he can’t lose his best friend. He can’t let this get between them because he couldn’t bare not to be around JJ, to make sure he’s ok each day, healthy and kicking. He doesn’t want to risk being another reason that JJ gets hurt. 

“But-” Kie stops herself though, searching Pope’s face for something. Pope isn’t playing around though. He can’t let JJ know about his feelings. 

Kie lets it go, but Pope sees something in her eyes. He knows she is up to something but he just wants this conversation to end so he grabs his board and heads out. He falls a few times, too distracted by JJ to even care as he comes into contact with the water. 

\------------------------------

Kie is annoying. It’s the only thing he can use to describe the other at the next kegger, chatting his ear off about Pope. He doesn’t know what she’s doing, but he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like her butting into his business. 

“Kie, just stop!” He snaps, drink spilling as he turns toward her. She stops, eyes wide and mouth snapping closed. Dark brown eyes shift and JJ doesn’t know what she’s looking at, but she presses on and JJ is so annoyed and mad and just wants her to leave this whole thing alone. 

“But what if he likes you back!” He thought he had squashed this. Kie had left him alone about this whole thing for a while, but Kie doesn’t leave things alone. He should have known better. 

“He won’t!” He is nearly yelling now, but the music is too loud to draw much attention. He doesn’t want people to hear though so he wraps his hand around her arm, probably a little tighter than he met to and drags her to the edge of the party. She simply follows behind him, not even looking at him until he finally stops. “It doesn’t matter because I’m never telling him.” 

Kie drifts away from him for a moment, taking a few steps back and JJ simply follows, walking with her a bit. “Why wouldn’t you tell him? What if he likes you back?” 

The conversation has quieted down away from the music and Kie has finally settled in one spot as she looks at him. 

JJ sighs at the questions, fingers moving to run through his hair nervously. “He’s not going to like me back. I’m not good enough for him.” It hurts to say the words out loud, but they’re true. He isn’t good enough for Pope. He knows he would only hold the other back. JJ wasn’t met for bigger and better things like Pope. “I’ll just hold him back.” 

Kie is frowning now, sadness etched into her pretty face as she steps forward to wrap him in a hug. He sinks into her frame, letting himself enjoy the warmth of the other. “But I think you might want to turn around. I’m pretty sure there’s someone who thinks differently,” Kie whispers as she pulls away, nodding her head behind JJ. 

JJ panics then, eyes wide as he spins around to see Pope standing behind him. The other looks a bit shocked and JJ instantly panics. This can’t be good. This isn’t what he wanted. Pope was never supposed to find out. JJ was just going to keep finding random tourons to fill the void in his heart and take what he could get from Pope, which was friendship. 

He doesn’t let Pope speak. He pushes past the other, hurrying away from the party, fingers in his hair anxiously. He just ruined his friendship. This was how he lost Pope, his best friend. This was how he lost the one person that met everything to him. Yeah, he would still have Kie and John B, but that was different. Pope was different. 

“JJ!” He wants to keep going. He wants to push on and just hide away in John B’s house forever and ever. Actually, he wants to go back and kill Kie first and then go hide away in John B’s house. Yeah, that’s what he was going to do. 

The only problem was the hand on his shoulder, stopping him, holding him in place. JJ wants to pull away, to run away from the other before he can tell JJ that he doesn’t return his feelings, never will, probably thinks it’s gross that JJ has feelings for him. He can’t seem to pull himself away though. He isn’t sure when he will be able to touch Pope again, if he can even touch him again. 

“You’d never hold me back.” The words are quiet, nearly lost in the waves, but JJ hears them. He hears them and his heart starts pounding in his chest as he turns around slowly to face the other. He wishes he could read the other’s mind right now. Was he saying that to make JJ feel better? Is he just playing tricks on JJ? Did he actually return JJ’s feelings? “And you’re more than good enough for me.”

JJ finally looks up, meeting dark eyes. The emotions swirling in Pope’s eyes has JJ’s breath stuck in his throat because JJ doesn’t know what he is looking at, but he is pretty there is love swirling in there. He doesn’t want to jump to conclusions though, because he doesn’t know what love looks like. He’s never been on the receiving end of love before. 

“JJ,” Pope starts, because JJ hasn’t said anything, isn’t really sure what to say. “I like you too.” It’s simple and straightforward and JJ has never been one for words and long speeches. It’s why he answers by lunging forward, connecting their lips in a searing kiss. 

It’s everything JJ has ever wanted. It’s warm and welcoming and loving. It’s Pope holding him close, fingers gentle as they brush JJ’s face. It’s JJ slipping fingers up Pope’s shirt, craving as much contact as he can get. 

Pope is the first to pull away, eyes closed and forehead presses to JJ’s. “Fuck,” JJ breaths, a laugh leaving his lips as he finally looks at the other. He imagines they both look like a mess right now. 

“What the hell are you laughing at?” The words are a bit defensive and JJ realizes that Pope may think JJ is laughing at him. He knows the other doesn’t really have a lot of experience in this department where JJ has more than he likes to admit. 

“I could have been doing this for months now. I’m a fucking idiot,” JJ finally answers and Pope joins him, laughing until they are breathless. 

Pope’s face is soft when they stop laughing and JJ realizes they are both still wrapped up in each other, out of breath and warm. JJ can step a little closer so he does, pressing into Pope and dragging his lips across the other’s cheek before he rests his chin on Pope’s shoulder. 

“You’re not an idiot and could never hold me back,” Pope whispers and JJ’s lips tug into a smile when Pope shifts, pressing his nose into JJ’s neck, lips pressing against his skin. JJ simply holds him closer. 

\------------------------------

“Look what I did,” Kie smiles, holding her beer out in their direction. Pope and JJ are sitting at the back of the boat, JJ’s arm casually draped across Pope’s shoulder. The pair blushes at her words, sharing a glance before they both chuckle. 

“Fine, we admit it. You’re meddling was appreciated,” JJ says, holding his own beer up like the two were about to clank glasses from opposite sides of the boat. 

“But don’t do it again,” Pope stresses.

“I second that,” John B adds, holding up his own drink. Sarah is curled up next to him with a smile on her face. “No need to meddle in our shit anymore.”

Kie snorts, rolling her eyes as she finally takes a drink. The rest of the group follows, each taking a long sip as JJ strands to stretch. “Well, lets stop sitting around and swim.” JJ doesn’t let anyone agree before he runs across the boat and jumps off the front. Pope watches with a fond smile. 

It’s then Kie goes to sit next to him, nudging him with her elbow. “See, I knew it would work out,” she smiles, wiggling her eyebrows. Pope gives her a gentle shove before he stands to take his own shirt off. 

“Shut up,” Pope laughs, following JJ off the boat and into the water. He surfaces to find JJ swimming in front of him, smile bright and warm. He can’t help but lean forward to press their lips together, both sinking into the water with a laugh. 

They only pull apart when Kie jumps in next to them, laugh loud as she splashes them upon landing. 

Pope simply laughs as she splashes them when she surfaces, smile on his lips as JJ retaliates before he dunks her under. He really is thankful the other meddled or JJ wouldn’t be swimming back over to him with a smile on his face and lips quick to press against Pope’s, an evil distraction before JJ gives him a shove under the water too.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think. The feedback has been so amazing and it really motivates me to keep writing for these two. 
> 
> Got a request? I'll do my best to write it if you want to send some ideas.


End file.
